Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Secretion: Implications for Development and Environmental Interactions

Plant secretion is a fundamental cellular process crucial for maintaining plasma membrane composition, modifying cell wall components, and facilitating intercellular communication and cellular homeostasis. As both a housekeeping function and a dynamic regulatory mechanism, secretion adapts to endogenous and exogenous cues to meet the developmental and environmental needs of plants. Defects in secretion pathways can impair cargo transport, cell differentiation, and the plant's capability to respond to biotic and abiotic stresses. While several secretion pathways operate in tandem, the classical route involves the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi apparatus, and trans-Golgi network (TGN) for trafficking proteins and lipids. Conversely, unconventional secretion mechanisms bypass the typical ER-Golgi transit, facilitating the delivery of proteins and molecules via alternative routes.

Current studies demonstrate that the regulation of plant secretion is multifaceted, occurring at various levels from the molecular machinery governing vesicle formation and transport to tissue-specific control of secretory activity. Factors such as cytoskeletal organization, lipid composition, and environmental stimuli influence the efficiency and fidelity of secretory mechanisms. Crucially, secretion plays an integral role in plant-microbe interactions, supporting both pathogen defense and symbiosis with beneficial organisms. Despite advances in understanding secretion dynamics, significant knowledge gaps persist about the regulatory elements shaping secretion and their physiological implications.

This Research Topic aims to elucidate the key regulatory elements steering secretory dynamics across different levels and their broader physiological impacts, ultimately advancing our understanding of how secretion influences plant development and adaptation. To gather further insights into the regulation and outcomes of plant secretion, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Mechanisms governing vesicle formation and trafficking
• Role of cytoskeletal and lipid factors in secretion
• Impacts of environmental stimuli on secretory pathways
• Role of secretion in plant-microbe interactions
• Unconventional secretion mechanisms and their significance

We invite original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that explore these themes.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Plant secretion, secretory pathways, vesicle trafficking, plant-microbe interactions, environmental adaptation, regulatory mechanisms

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.